Pretty in Pink
by NerdAngel
Summary: A little Christmas one shot that takes place after season 4.


**A/n: Just a little something for the holidays, dedicated to my good friend LilyBolt. I hope you enjoy. Thank you whoever reads, reviews, and/or favorites this. It takes place a few years after season 4.**

 **I don't own Sherlock or the characters.**

Pretty in Pink

Sherlock could feel his tightly wrapped torso being pushed rapidly and repeatedly. Somewhere in the depths of his mind, his name was being called. Or at least most of his name, there was a H missing. He ignored it. It grew louder and the shaking intensified until he wasn't 100% certain he wasn't on a boat in the middle of a not so gentle body of water. He peeled his eyes open and found his vision was taken up by a small round face with deep blue eyes.

"Get up Serlock! It's time to see what Santa brought!" Sherlock peered into the large excited eyes that were focused on him, then raised them to glare past her and at undoubtedly the culprit behind the wake up call. John stood leaning in Sherlock's doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and a smug grin on his face.

"John, get your little one under control," he demanded.

"Oh I'd like to Sherlock, except this is your doing."

"What? No it isn't."

"You were the one that told Rosie she could stay up late with you waiting to catch a glimpse of Santa Clause," the father reminded his friend.

"Yes and I did that so that she would sleep in. No one who goes to sleep at one in the morning is up at a quarter to six in the morning. Not voluntarily anyhow."

"You know if it wasn't for Mycroft, your parents, and some events that took place a few years ago, I would be convinced you were never a kid." The detective stared at the doctor with a puzzled look on his face. "You can't expect a kid to not wake up early on Christmas morning Sherlock," his friend explained. "No matter what time they went to bed the night before. Or in this case the morning of."

"Come on Serlock, please!" The detective looked back over at the round face with the wide excited eyes.

"You go on with your father," he yawned and sank himself further into his pillow. "I'll catch up."

"Serlock," her voice grew strict. "If you aren't out of this bed when I count to three, you're going to be in trouble." Her mouth twisted downward and her expression reminded the detective of a smaller version of his friend. "One...two...th-"

"Alright fine, I'm going," he snapped. Rosie clapped and cheered and smiled triumphantly over at her father who smiled back at her.

"Let's go!" She shouted climbing down from the detective's bed and running into the sitting room. Sherlock threw back the covers and got to his feet, glaring at a still smirking John. Now that he was closer, he could tell that though he wore a content expression, the father was no more happier to be awake than he was. The only difference between them was that the excitement that was currently racing through his daughter was endearing enough that he probably didn't mind being up currently. Not to mention the obvious satisfaction he was getting from seeing his friend suffer. Sherlock, though always happy to see Rosie happy, also liked to make himself happy. Being up at just before six in the morning did not make him happy.

"Nice parenting work John," he shot at him.

"Got you out of bed didn't it?" The detective glared at him and then made his way out of his room with his still smirking friend in tow.

Sherlock didn't have anything against the holiday, but the size of the flat didn't exactly call for a traditional large pine tree that would surely make a mess of needles. John, Rosie, and even their landlady Mrs. Hudson however thought differently. It wasn't John's first Christmas at 221B, but it had been Rosie's. Sure she had gone to visit Sherlock around the holiday where he did indeed decorate a bit with a sting of garland and lights that were displayed across the mantle of the fireplace. However that was mostly the extent of it. Mrs. Hudson had put it upon herself to add a few decorations here and there, only to find them torn down and an aggravated detective glaring at her in a way that had reminded her of the time she had tried to help a friend bathe their cat. Now that his flat was occupied with not only his friend once more but also his friend's daughter, things around the holiday seemed to be taken a lot more seriously. Sherlock and John had never exchanged gifts, they hadn't had to. Simply spending the day together had been enough. Even once Mary came into the picture. They would acknowledge the holiday to each other when they first woke up or when Sherlock would go to visit the Watson's at their home, but mostly Sherlock just sat and hoped for someone to intrigue him with a case. Mycroft would send a text wishing his brother well, and Molly and Lestrade would make an appearance later on in the day. Christmas was simple, just as he liked it.

The living room of the flat was almost nothing but a fir tree that was wrapped in multi colored lights and various ornaments of different shapes and sizes. some of them placed nice and evenly, other lower spots on the tree were crammed with more than was necessary for one section to hold. The fireplace had little white lights all around it and the mantle held the garland as it usually did every year. However new to the fireplace were three stockings which hung down in a neat little row. The largest of them had gold glitter letters that spelled out Rosie. The stockings, which had been empty before, were now filled with wrapped goodies and a few candy canes hung around the edge of the opening of which the exhausted detective had helped fill after Rosie had finally lost the battle with sleep. Underneath the tree were presents all nicely wrapped or bagged with tags that were properly labeled.

Rosie was already in the process of removing the stockings and running them over to her father and his friend before Sherlock even made it halfway through the hall. "You must've been good this year Serlock!" She beamed. "Look at all the stuff Santa left you!"

"If Santa really wanted to treat me, he'd have had tea ready for me when I got up." Sherlock grumbled.

"Behave," John hissed at him before turning his attention back to his daughter who was practically shoving his own stocking into his hand.

"You were too Daddy! Look!" John looked down and back up at Rosie with a look of surprise and a gasp.

The three were finishing up their stockings when a cheerful "yoo-hoo" indicating their landlady was entering sounded. Her arms were filled with a tray where a tea pot and two tea cups, saucers, and spoons sat along with sugar, and a little pitcher of milk. She set down the tray and smiled from Sherlock to John to Rosie.

"Merry Christmas everyone!"

"Merry Christmas Mrs. Hudson," the doctor replied with a grin.

"Merry Christmas!" Rosie echoed excitedly going and giving the older woman a hug.

"Finally,"Sherlock sighed with relief at the sight of tea as he moved pass everyone to get to it.

"You're all up early, aren't you?" She giggled then turned to the detective. "I don't normally see you until hours after I come to bring you your tea."

"Yes well, if I had things my way you wouldn't be seeing me now. Someone however had other ideas."

"He's just pouting because his 'clever' plan to tire out Rosie backfired on him," John explained.

"Oh Sherlock, it's Christmas!"

"I'm aware."

"Everyone knows that little ones don't sleep in on Christmas morning."

"Apparently neither do those around them. Though not by choice."

The tired father helped himself to the unused cup. "As always Mrs. Hudson, you are our morning savior."

The woman smiled and blushed. "Oh it's nothing. Only tea."

"It's much more than only tea I can assure you," he said as he took a sip.

"Oh! I almost forgot," she exclaimed rushing down the stairs out of sight briefly before returning with a holiday bag in her hand which she handed to Rosie. "Here you are Dear, I got you a little something."

"Mrs. Hudson, you didn't have to do that." The landlady waved a dismissive hand."It's no trouble at all. That's what God mothers are for."

Rosie excitedly dug through the bag, throwing tissue paper to the side so as that she could get the gift inside. Finally the rain of paper stopped and two identical baby dolls were pulled free. John looked at Sherlock who in return rolled his eyes.

"Twins!" She shouted excitedly giving each of the dolls a one armed hug in either arm. "Thank you Mrs. Huson!" The older woman beamed at the little girl.

"You're welcome Rosie! I'm so glad you like them!"

"I do! I think I'll call this one Lily and this one...Serlock!" Sherlock began to choke on the large sip of tea he had just taken.

"That doll is wearing a dress which I can only assume means it's suppose to be a female doll," he explained through coughs.

"So?" The child shrugged. "Serlock can be a girl too." The detective's attention snapped to his friend who clearly found this manner to be very amusing.

"Well there you are Sherlock, you got someone named after you just like you wanted." Sherlock opened his mouth to retort but closed it again and instead sighed.

"That's...very kind of you. Thank you Little Watson," he replied politely, though John knew it was it was forced. Rosie smiled.

"She's so pretty, isn't she Daddy? And Lily too!"

"Yes Darling both Lily and Sherlock and very pretty little girls," the detective sensed a hint of teasing towards him when he mentioned "Sherlock" and "little girl" together. "But you're the prettiest." The child hugged her father and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

The sound of footsteps caused everyone to turn their gaze towards the door.

"Lestrade is on top of things this morning," Sherlock remarked taking another sip of his tea. The detective inspector entered the room with a big smile on his face.

"Merry Christmas everyone!" He turned to John "sorry I'm late. I saw Molly on my way, I'm sure she'll be here soon."

"Late?"Sherlock repeated with a scowl.

"Yeah I'm usually here a bit sooner. I don't sleep much what with work and all, so normally I visit early. Well," he nodded towards the detective. "Everyone but you anyways. Speaking of, what are you doing up? You aren't exactly an early riser?"

"So then you only came to wish the compliments of the season," Sherlock said disappointed.

"I try to take at least the morning off," Greg explained.

"Sorry I'm late," a female voice sounded.

"Molly!" Rosie rushed to the young woman and embraced her, doing the same to the detective inspector.

"Merry Christmas Rosie, John, Mrs. Hudson, Greg, Sherlock."

"Merry Christmas Molly," John replied.

"Merry Christmas Dear."

"Merry Christmas Molly Hooper."

"Yes yes now that everyone's said it, can we get on with the morning?"

Everyone stopped to look at Sherlock with looks of disapproval.

"Molly, Greg, look! Mrs. Huson got me babies!"

"Oh they're lovely aren't they? Just like their mother," the younger woman affectionately tapped Rosie on the nose.

"Tell Molly what their names are," John encouraged.

"Their names are Lily and Serlock," she reported proudly. Molly covered her mouth as a grin and a small chuckle, which she disguised as a cough, escaped her.

"Those are lovely names for lovely little girls." Sherlock rolled his eyes. "I got you a little something too," Molly reached into a paper bag she had been holding and pulled out a little neatly wrapped box. Rosie took it gently and began to open it. Inside the box, was a small heart-shaped necklace with three little diamonds.

"Wow! It's pretty. Thank you Molly!"

"You're welcome Rosie," she smiled.

"That's beautiful Molly, but it looks a tad expensive,"

John said. "You didn't have to spend much on us."

"It's ok. That's what God Mothers are for."

Every one exchanged gifts and spent the rest of the day chatting with one another. By the time everyone had left, Rosie was passed out on John's chair with her new dolls tucked in each arm and her head resting on the arm of the chair. The father smiled and gently picked her up, accidentally dropping one of the twins in the process.

Sherlock bent to pick it up, examining it as he did so.

"Here's...whichever is this one?"

"What, can't you tell the difference?" John teased.

"These toys are exactly the same, they simply packaged two of them into one box instead of each of them separately," he explained. "The only difference is the accent color on their white dresses. Is it Lily who wears pink?"

"Uh I believe that would be...Yeah I'm pretty certain it's Sherlock in pink," John answered after much thought.

"Of course it is," he mumbled as he passed on the doll in the powder blue accented dress to the father. "Well at least she appears to like the doll she named after me better, but why me? Why did she name the doll after me, I mean. It would have made more sense for her to name it after Molly or Mrs. Hudson or Mary..." The detective froze at the last name and his face fell. John sighed and shifted the sleeping child as carefully as he could so he didn't wake her or drop another doll.

"She likes you," the doctor said simply. "She looks up to."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You're her father, she looks up to you and yet she didn't name a doll after you," he pointed out. John shrugged his shoulders.

"You'd have to ask her. I'd just take it as a compliment. because it is compliment."

"Indeed. One she paid where you refused." John chuckled and shook his head. The corners of the detective's lips lifted. "Merry Christmas John."

The doctor smiled warmly at his friend. "Merry Christmas Sherlock."

 **A/n: Merry Christmas!**


End file.
